(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj announced the establishment of a third military operations room to combat ISIS in the coastal city Sabratha, which is 75 kilometres west of Tripoli.
Mayor Hussein al-Thawadi welcomed the decision, and stated that it was an important step in establishing security and fighting against ISIS, reported Asharq Al-Awsat.
Since December 2015, Sabratha has been hit by a wave of terror attacks by ISIS militants who have taken advantage of the political chaos in Libya to establish a presence in the coastal city.
In February the United States carried out airstrikes targeting ISIS forces on the outskirts of Sabratha, killing 40 people.
Last week, the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) formed their second operations room in the region between Ajdabiya and Sirte to combat ISIS militants from the east, and the campaign consists of forces from the Petroleum Forces Guard (PFG) and the Ajdabiya military.
In early May, the Presidential Council (PC) established its first joint military operations room to oversee the campaign against ISIS in the region between Misrata and Sirte after ISIS militants overran the Abu Grein checkpoint near Libya’s third largest city.
Since Sarraj is the president of the PC, which has assumed the function of the Supreme Commander of the Libyan Army as outlined in the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA), all military operations in Libya fall directly under his command.
Sarraj has prohibited any military formations to initiate combat in the areas of the operations rooms against ISIS without direct orders.